The Future of Smallholder Farming in Eastern Africa - Uganda ...

BR = LB , (4)
AF
where
BR = birth ratio;
LB = number of live births; and
AF = number of adult females.
The BR and BI were compared for livestock keepers using different animal health
delivery channels.
4.0 FEATURES OF COMMUNITY-BASED ANIMAL HEALTH WORKERS
4.1 Characteristics of the CBAHWs
The criteria for choosing CBAHWs vary, but there is general agreement on the need for
community choice and control over candidate selection. Many programs offer basic
guidelines for selecting appropriate candidates based on personal characteristics. Although
personal characteristics are hard to define and measure, they are critical, since sustained
support and respect within a community depends on them. In traditional societies individuals
occupy specific positions, and the roles they play are determined in advance by their social
positions. Consequently, the discharge of such functions and roles does not generate
differentiated existence but simply confirms it. For this reason, individuals perform specific
tasks in accordance with an a priori rule defining their social identity (Platteau 1994). With
respect to CBAHWs, some of the personal characteristics that could determine social position
include literacy, gender, age, and experience of stock raising (Holden 1997; Leyland and
Akwabai 1998; Oakeley 2000).
Literacy is seen as a prerequisite for learning, recording, and drug handling activities
and therefore forms an important ingredient of a CBAHW candidate. One school of thought,
however, speculates that a higher level of education is associated with higher income and
career expectations among the trainees, and these expectations could make them more likely
to emigrate from the area. The net effect of literacy on the success rate of an individual as a
CBAHW will therefore be determined by the relative strengths of these two opposing forces
and is therefore indeterminate.
Experience in stock raising, measured as years of stock-keeping experience, appears to
be an obvious criterion and may go together with livestock ownership. There is, however, no
evidence that limited experience with livestock would preclude an individual from becoming
a successful CBAHW. It is therefore reasonable to anticipate that trainees’ stock-raising
experience will have a positive impact on their likelihood of becoming successful CBAHWs.
Opinions differ regarding the appropriate age of trainees, although health and fitness
requirements may exclude some older candidates. Older candidates, however, may enjoy
greater respect and trust within the community and may be less likely to move away.
Currently, there is no evidence in the literature to suggest that younger candidates cannot
perform equally well. The net effect of age on the likelihood of success as a CBAHW is
therefore indeterminate.